Economy

A wake-up call from Ländle industry

The economic skies over Vorarlberg are noticeably cloudy.

(Bild: Stiplovsek Dietmar)

In view of the current economic downturn, Vorarlberg's industry is calling on politicians to act, and the list of demands on the new state government is thick.

For a long time, the industrial sector in Vorarlberg was a sure-fire success; since joining the EU in 1995, one record has followed another and the signs have been pointing to growth almost continuously. However, the boom years are over and even the major leading companies in the state are facing increasingly strong headwinds. Elmar Hartmann, President of the Vorarlberg Federation of Industry, is not even trying to gloss over the situation: "Our industry is now in its third year of recession and if we don't manage to turn things around quickly, deindustrialization will become more and more of a reality."

23 demands to strengthen the location
Although Vorarlberg is still on a solid economic footing, the trend is clearly heading in the wrong direction: "Unemployment is rising, location costs are increasing year on year and bureaucratic requirements are also on the rise." From the worrying status quo, Hartmann derives a concrete mandate for the future state government: "Regardless of the election results, the course must be set in the coming weeks and months to secure prosperity and jobs in Vorarlberg." As a kind of guide to action, the IVV has drawn up a list of demands comprising 23 measures to be implemented over the next five years.

Regardless of the outcome of the elections, the course must be set in the coming weeks and months in order to secure prosperity and jobs in Vorarlberg.

Elmar Hartmann, Präsident der Industriellenvereinigung Vorarlberg

Bild: Mathis Fotografie

One of the most important points is the expansion of infrastructure. Specifically, the IV is calling for the construction of new tracks for freight traffic in the Rhine Valley, the realization of the underground route between Bregenz and Lochau and a solution for the S18 in Lustenau. The course must be set for these three projects by the end of the next legislative period - even in the face of resistance. Another key demand concerns the reduction of bureaucracy. "Bureaucracy slows down and makes processes unnecessarily expensive. We need to ease the burden on our companies so as not to slow down their innovative strength," emphasizes Hartmann. The IV's proposed solutions include setting up a temporary office to identify and reduce unnecessary requirements. In addition, an ombudsman's office should be created where companies can report grievances anonymously. Furthermore, a new platform for the digital processing of approval procedures should be created, following the example of Upper Austria.

Elmar Hartmann and Simon Kampl at the presentation of the list of demands.

(Bild: IV)

Apprenticeship for childcare
In addition to the two major issues of infrastructure and bureaucracy, the high costs of labor and space and the shortage of skilled workers also need to be tackled, as well as an expansion of the research location and further improvements in teaching. Childcare in the country is still inadequate. Although some progress has been made in recent years, the lack of staff is visibly slowing down the expansion. "An innovative solution would be to establish an apprenticeship in childcare," said Hartmann. He concluded: "We are ready to actively shape the future of our country together with all political players."